Gallinari is worried about taking a hit on the-still healing thumb, among other things. Pain is still an issue. He says doctors originally told him it was a 3-4 week healing process. Right now, he’s just barely over two weeks into it.

But the pressure to return to a Nuggets team making a playoff push is palpable. Gallinari is the team’s second-leading scorer at 15.2 points per game and there are big games that the Nuggets need him on the court for.

He said he’s doing everything he can to get back to the court as quickly as he can.

“No doubt, that is what I’m trying to do,” he said. “It’s been 16 days after I broke it and if you talk to doctors (they say) it’s going to be pretty much up to me. But usually they take three or four weeks to heal. But I’ve got to fight through it, no doubt. We’ve got 12, 11 games left, so. I’ve got to come back as fast as possible.”

Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.